NAPIERVILLE, Ill. – The fifth-ranked Wesley College football team was on the brink of their first regular season loss to an NCAA Division III team since 2013. Joe Callahan and the Wesley offense orchestrated an 11-play, 94-yard drive in the final two minutes to score and punched in a two-point conversion with seven seconds remaining for the 50-49 win over No. 22 North Central College.
Callahan finished with his second 400-yard passing performance of the season, going 26-for-50 for 414 yards and three touchdowns. Callahan also had 111 rush yards and two rushing scores. Jamar Baynard ran the ball 24 times for 141 yards and a score, his third 100-yard rushing game this season.James Okike led the Wesley receiving corps with seven catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns while Bryce Shade caught three balls for 100 yards and a touchdown. Xavier Allen only recorded one catch for four yards, but snagged the game-winning two point try.
Wesley was the first to crack the scoreboard in the top 25 shootout. Jamar Baynard opened the scoring with a one yard run to cap an 80-yard drive. The Wolverines' 7-0 lead didn't last for long though, as North Central tied the game before the end of the first frame and then outscored Wesley 21-7 in the second quarter and the Wolverines trailed by 14 at halftime.
The Wolverines' only score in the second quarter came on a 15-yard connection between Callahan and Okike. The score capped a six-play, 82-yard drive and kept Wesley in the game headed into the break.
In the second half, the Wesley defense made enough big plays to stymie the North Central offense. Wesley outscored the Cardinals 36-21 in the third and fourth quarter. The Wolverine defense allowed a touchdown on the Cardinals first drive of the half, but forced them into four consecutive scoreless drives after that. The stout defense allowed Wesley to score 28 straight points to tie the game.
Callahan found Shade for a 59-yard touchdown pass to make it 35-21, and then rushed for three consecutive touchdowns to give the Wolverines a 42-35 with 11:30 remaining in the fourth quarter.
North Central came storming back, capitalizing on a Wesley special teams turnover to answer with 14 straight points and take a 49-42 lead with 2:08 remaining in the game. With time winding down and the fifth-ranked Wolverines trailing by a score, the Wolverines turned the ball over to one of the best Division III quarterbacks in the nation.
After a penalty on the kickoff, Wesley was forced to start the drive on its own six-yard line. Callahan escaped pressure on the first play and scampered for a 10-yard gain, followed by a 7-yard Baynard rush. The quarterback completed three passes to tight end Kyle George for 41 yards on the drive, and found Baynard twice for 23 yards. The scoring strike came on a 12-yard pass to James Okike, making the score 49-48.
Faced with a difficult decision, head coach Mike Drass and offensive coordinator Chip Knapp decided to go for the win. On the two-point try, Callahan found Xavier Allen in the end zone to complete the conversion and give the Wolverines 50-49 lead with seven seconds remaining.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Cardinals' return man muffed the catch and Wesley pounced on the recovery, kneeling out the clock on the final play of the game to earn the 50-49 road win over the 22nd-ranked Cardinals.
Wesley improves to 3-0 on the season and will return to New Jersey Athletic Conference play on Saturday, October 3 when they host Southern Virginia University at 1:00 p.m.